ACDSee Pro 8 is the most complete solution for the enhancement and control of image production for professional photographers. The standard version, ACDSee 18, gives any photographer the high-end tools they need to produce professional quality photos and manage their photo library. ACDSee Pro 8 is available for $199.99 and ACDSee 18 is available for $79.99. Both products are also available via subscription starting at $79 per year.

Little Pixels have released a new iPhone app that gives users direct control over white balance, shutter speed and ISO sensitivity. Available for all devices running iOS 8, the Manual – Custom Exposure Camera app also allows you to control focus, engage exposure bracketing, view a live histogram, display various grid overlays and save photos directly to the Camera Roll. Manual – Custom Exposure Camera is available on iTunes for $1.99.

Nero has launched its Nero 2015 Classic and Nero 2015 Platinum digital media suites. Comprising more than 10 brand new mobile apps and significantly enhanced versions of Nero Burning ROM, Nero Video, Nero Recode, Nero Express, and Nero MediaHome; Nero 2015 Classic replaces the previous “standard” editions of the Nero suite, and features a redesigned launcher, support for geotags, integrated cloud access, auto-transcoding and more. Nero 2015 Platinum includes all the characteristic enhancements of Nero 2015 Classic, with the addition of a fully-fledged Blu-ray Disc player (including 3D support), Blu-ray Disc ripping to virtually any video file format, 4K (UHD) video editing and slideshow support, as well as  hundreds of additional video effects and retro movie theme templates. Both suites are available now. The recommended prices are £69.99 for Nero 2015 Classic and £89.99 for Nero 2015 Platinum.

BenVista have released their new photo resizing software, PhotoZoom Pro 6. "In PhotoZoom Pro 6, we have reinforced our S-Spline Max algorithm with improved detection of tiny details and subtle edges. During enlargement, these are now being reconstructed in a smart way, yielding extremely true-to-nature results. The improvements are particularly spectacular with low resolution originals, which often contain lots of delicate details," says D.S. Schoolwerth, CEO at BenVista. "Moreover, PhotoZoom Pro 6 comes with a new option to enhance the vividness of photos. This comes in very handy when enlarging originals that look a bit dim or lacklustre. PhotoZoom Pro 6 will not only turn them into perfect enlargements, but can also bring these photos to life by adding some extra sunshine." PhotoZoom Pro 6 is available for €169. Upgrade options are available for existing PhotoZoom users.

Adobe has released Version 13 of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. Featuring four new Effects Variations; Adobe Photoshop Elements 13 adds new Intelligent Crop Suggestion and PhotomergeCompose tools and three new Guided Edits for black-and-white photography. Adobe Premiere Elements 13 features new Video in Titles and Favourite Moments tools, a new Video Story creator and an enhanced Shake Stabiliser. Elements Live (eLive) is a new feature available from both programs, which gives users access to a huge collection of Web-based tutorials, software updates and news. Photoshop Elements 13 and Premiere Elements are available now for £81.08 / $99.99 each (£63.43 / $79.99 for upgraders), or £122.11 / $149.99 as a bundle.

Adobe has acquired Aviary, a developer of mobile SDKs for the delivery of creative apps. “Aviary has an exceptional team and technology platform, as well as expertise serving a robust developer ecosystem. We're thrilled to leverage Aviary's technology to make our Creative SDK even more powerful for app developers,” said Scott Belsky, vice president of Creative Cloud Ecosystem & Behance at Adobe. “This is great news for developers because thousands of mobile apps will have the opportunity to become compatible with industry-defining desktop tools like Photoshop CC, as well as new Creative Cloud services."

Akvis has updated its AirBrush software to version 2.5. This release adds a new Share feature, an option to reverse background and paint colours, a new interface theme, support for additional raw image file formats, and compatibility with Photoshop CC 2014. Registered users of AirBrush can upgrade to version 2.5 for free.

Athentech Imaging has released Perfectly Clear Plug-Ins 2.0 and LAB 5.0. Perfectly Clear Plug-Ins 2.0 feature re-engineered algorithms, a new noise engine, a new Beautify filter that gives you 10 ways to look your best, an opacity slider that lets you blend your before and after images to your preference, Import / Export presets that let you easily share presets with your friends, and much more. The reengineered LAB 5.0 for Business software features a new raw engine that supports more raw file types, betterr control over PDF image processing, and the same speed, noise & new Beautify upgrades as Plug-Ins 2.0. Perfectly Clear Plug-Ins 2.0 is now available for only $149 (individual package) and $199 (bundle). LAB 5.0 is now available for $495/quarter.

Leica has announced new firmware updates for the Leica S-System. FW 2.4.0.0, the firmware update for the LeicaS (Type 006), optimises numerous functions, considerably improves the performance of the camera and all Leica S-Lenses and represents the most comprehensive firmware update since the launch of the Leica S-System. The firmware updates for the LeicaS (FW 2.4.0.0.) and Leica S2/S2-P (FW 1.4.0.0.) cameras also support the Leica Summicron-S 100 mm f/2 ASPH.

Phase One today released version 8 of Capture One Pro, the imaging software preferred by hundreds of thousands of the world's leading photographers. Capture One Pro 8 now adds an unprecedented level of performance and control for the discerning photographer. The unique new Film Grain tool is based on a "deep dive" into the physics of the interaction between light and silver halide to emulate the effects from analogue film. Another new key feature is the Clone and Heal repair layers, which allows users to remove unwanted objects from images without degrading image quality or details. The Local Adjustment in Capture One Pro 8 offers extensive image control by supporting new features such as local white balance. Users coming from Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Aperture will find the transition easier with the migration tools offered. New customers can obtain Capture One Pro 8 for 299 USD or 229 EUR. Owners of previous versions of Capture One Pro may upgrade for 99 USD or 69 EUR.

Sony is exhibiting 4 lenses (FE 24-240mm F3.5-6.3 OSS, FE 28mm F2, Distagon T* FE 35mm F1.4 ZA, FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS) and 2 converters (FE Ultra Wide Converter and FE Fisheye Converter) supporting 35 mm full-frame sensors under development for reference at Photokina. Including these lenses, Sony is introducing its lens development roadmap, which shows that Sony aims to release a total of over twenty α E-mount lenses supporting 35 mm full-frame sensors in 2016.

The ‘Capture One’ RAW converter and image editing software from Phase One has been newly adapted for Sony. ‘Capture One Express (for Sony)’ will be provided at no extra charge to users who purchase an α interchangeable-lens camera or Cyber-shot RX digital still camera.

Panasonic have announced a firmware update for the GH-4 compact system camera which will enhance the performance and controllability of the camera and feature a new 4K Photo Mode. It encourages users to capture spur-of-the-moment, high resolution, 4K photos by cropping out a designated frame from a 4K video. With the new firmware for GH4, it is easier to get 4K photo by using the dedicated mode. The new firmware program is scheduled to be released in the beginning of October, 2014.

Olympus has announced a silver OM-D E-M1, version 2.0 firmware upgrade, super-fast 40-150mm telephoto zoom lens and 1.4x teleconverter booster. The 2.0 firmware upgrade delivers tethered shooting, on-camera Digital Shift and Live Composite. The extremely fast M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm 1:2.8 PRO (80-300mm*) is available with a booster for ultra-high zoom photography: the M.ZUIKO Digital 1.4x Teleconverter.

The silver Olympus E-M1 upgrade goes on sale in early October – at £1099.99 for the body only, or £1799.99 in a kit with the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-40mm 1:2.8 PRO lens. The new 40-150mm PRO zoom lens and 1.4x Teleconverter both follow in early November. The Olympus 40-150mm lens will cost £1299.99 with the 1.4x teleconverter priced at £299.99. Alternatively, they will be available together for £1499.99.

Corel is growing its photo software lineup with the introduction of a new member of the Corel AfterShot product family. Based on the already existing AfterShot Pro 2, the new AfterShot 2 for Windows is billed as a powerful raw photo editing and adjustment application at a highly affordable price. “With the launch of AfterShot 2, Corel is addressing three trends. One, enthusiasts today have thousands of photos and need better ways of managing them. Second, everyone who’s truly passionate about photography should consider a leap to RAW for the quality and superior results it can deliver. Finally, the high price and subscription push of Lightroom restricts many entry-level enthusiasts from getting into a legitimate photo workflow product,” said Greg Wood, Product Management, Corel Photo Editing. “AfterShot 2 changes this by delivering a powerful and creative feature set that’s based on the impressive power of AfterShot Pro, but available at price of just $39.99—an incomparable value.” Corel's new AfterShot 2 application is available for $39.99.

Version 18.5 of PhotoLine is now available for download. Improvements versus the previous release include the addition of a new filter called Polar Coordinates, a new vector operation dubbed "Cut," curves optimisation, enhanced PDF Import and Export, improved touch and gesture support under Windows 8, a couple of new alignment functions, and more. PhotoLine is an all-purpose image and graphics editor featuring support for CMYK and lab colour spaces, colour management with ICC profiles, adjustment layers, and 16/32-bit-per-channel.editing. To download the program, visit the website below.

Website: PhotoLine

X-Rite has partnered with Macphun to offer photographers two new product bundles. Available across Europe, the offers enable users to buy an X-Rite ColorMunki Smile and get Macphun Intensify for free, or purchase an X-Rite ColorMunki Display and pick up a gratis copy of Macphun Intensify Pro. To receive this offer customers must purchase the ColorMunki Smile or ColorMunki Display, and then register their unique product serial number online using the URL provided - this will then instantly make available an electronic download of the Macphun software for the customer. THe promotion runs until the end of October.

Adobe today announced plans to significantly update Adobe Creative Cloud video desktop apps and Adobe Anywhere for video. Key updates to Creative Cloud extend native file support, with the addition of AJA RAW. Performance enhancements include accelerated Masking & Tracking; and new GPU-optimised playback that delivers better performance when viewing extremely high resolution 4K and UltraHD footage from Phantom Cine, Canon raw and RED R3D files. A refreshed user-interface across all the video applications supports HiDPI displays for both Mac Retina Displays and Windows 8.1. Powerful new media and project management features, including Consolidate & Transcode; Search Bins; and Multiproject workflows offer more ease and flexibility, at the project level, so Adobe Premiere Pro CC users can complete tasks more efficiently. Adobe Media Encoder now includes Destination publishing with preset options so users can render, deliver and share projects to multiple locations such as FTP sites and their Creative Cloud folder, automating the delivery process. Additionally, Extended Match Source support now includes added support for the QuickTime and DNxHD formats.  Additionally, new options in the Adobe Anywhere app for iPad are added, so users to scrub and review video footage faster.

Sony has updated its PlayMemories Mobile smartphone app to Version 5.0. Available tomorrow, as a free download (iOS and Android), this handy app works with Sony’s QX10, QX30, QX100 and QX1 lens-style cameras, and provides faster one-touch wireless connection by NFC and offers a new touch shutter function that allows fumble-free shooting just by touching your phone screen. Other novelties include a redesigned graphical user interface, on-screen focus confirmation, on-demand grid lines and a new Mirror mode that lets you frame shots in confidence with the camera held at arm’s length. PlayMemories Mobile Version 5.0 for iOS and Android is available for free.

DxO Labs have released DxO Optics Pro 9.5.2. This version adds support for the Nikon D810 (pictured, Elite Edition only) and expands its library of DxO Optics Modules with 894 new camera/lens combinations, The Standard and Elite editions of DxO Optics Pro v9.5.2 for Mac and Windows are immediately available in the DxO Labs online store.

Akvis Refocus has been updated to Version 5.0. This release brings a new refocusing algorithm, expanded raw image file support, minor bug fixes and improved compatibility with Adobe Photoshop CC 2014. Registered users of Refocus can upgrade to version 5.0 for free by downloading and installing the new version.